Removable staple supporting slide for stapling machines



Feb. 2, 1954 s, s L 2,667,638

REMOVABLE STAPLE SUPPORTING SLIDE FOR STAPLING MACHINES Filed May 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 2, 1954 s. SEGAL 2,667,638

) REMOVABLE STAPLE SUPPORTING SLIDE FOR STAPLING MACHINES Filed May 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 2, 1954 REMOVABLE STAPLE SUPPORTING SLIDE FOR STAPLIN G MACHINES Samuel Sega], New York, N.

Wilson-J ones ration of Massachusetts Application May 5, 1951, Serial No. 224,700 3 Claims. (01. 1-3) This invention relates to a removable staple supporting slide for stapling machines, particularly toa staple supporting slide that will automatically snap into latched relationship with the machine and will enable the last staple in the machine to be driven through the exit channel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a stapling machine with a staple supporting slide that snaps into place automatically when it is properly positioned and will stay in place until its latch is released. It is a further object of the invention to provide a staple supporting slide with latching means that may be readily released to permit removal of the staple supporting slide. It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple and efficient latch that will expedite removal and replacement of the staple supporting slide in the stapling machine. Another object of the invention is to provide a feed plate that will enable the last staple in the machine to be fed to the exit channel. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a stapling machine embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the stapling machine with the body portion swung around its pivot;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view of the staple supporting slide in the position shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line =l--t of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an inverted perspective view of the staple supporting slide;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary bottom plan View showing the staples positioned. in the machine with the body portion swung on its pivot about the base, as shown in Figure 2, but with the staple supporting slide partially removed therefrom;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary bottom plan view, similar to Figure '7, but showing the staple supporting slide positioned in the machine;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary inverted perspective View of the staple supporting slide with the feed plate spaced from the staples and with parts broken away to illustrate the relationship between the staple supporting slide, the feed plate and the staples; and

Figure 10 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line Iti B of Figure 3.

to register with recess [5.

Y., assignor to Company, Chicago, 111., a corpo- In the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates the base portion of a stapling machine having a body portion 3 pivotally secured thereto, as indicated at 4. The body portion is provided with a head 5 mounted on a plunger 6 for driving the staples l which are mounted on a removable staple supporting slide 8 fitting in a recess 9 in the bottom of the body portion 3. The recess 9 is defined by the side walls It and I l, and the front wall l2 of the body portion. The rear end of the recess 9 is left open to permit the staple supporting slide 8 to be inserted into and removed from the recess. The side walls It] and H are provided with longitudinally extending recesses l3 and M, respectively, as shown in Figure 10. The rear end of the body portion 3 is provided with a vertica1 recess [5, as shown in Figure 4, for a purpose hereinafterdescribed.

The staple supporting slide 8 comprises a channel shaped member having a top wall It, side walls l1 and I8, and a rear end wall I9. The side walls ii and i8 are provided with lateral flanges l1 and I6, respectively, fitting in recess [3 and M to hold the staple supporting slide 8 in its proper vertical relationship to the body portion 3 of the stapling machine. A resilient spring member 25 hasone end projecting through an opening 2i in the top wall it and secured to the underside of the top wall by a rivet 22 or in any other suitable manner. A stud 23 is rigidly secured to the spring member 2:} so as to project upwardly from its top surface. Preferably the top surface of the stud is beveled, as indicated at .24 (Figurev 4) so that the stud will ride over the rear edge 25 without difiiculty when the staple supporting slide 8 is moved forwardly to position it in thestapling machine. The rear edge of the stud forms a vertical abutment engaging the side of recess 15 when the staple supporting slide is moved forwardly far enough to allow the stud 23 When the stud is in vertical alignment. with the recess [5 the resilience of the spring member 29 causes it to snap into latching position from which it can not be accidentally displaced. The member 28 is provided-with an integral portion 26 which projects beyond the rear end of the body portion of the stapling machine when the staple supporting slide 8. is .in its latched position. The portion 26 of spring member 2.3 may bev easily moved by finger pressure to release the stud 23 from the recess !5 so that the staple supporting slide may be removed from the machine.

A rod 2? is mounted in staple supporting slide 8 with one end supported by end wall is and the slot 36. as slots 36 and fit snugly therein. The front edge other end supported by a lip 28 struck from the top wall It or" the staple supporting slide. Either end of rod 2? may be provided with an enlarged head 29, and the other end is peened over, as indicated at 39, after the rod is assembled into position. The feeding mechanism comprises a channel shaped feed plate 3| having a top wall 32 fitting over top wall [6 of the stable supporting slide 8, and side walls 33 and 3d straddling side walls I! and IQ of the staple supporting slide. The side walls I! and I8 of the staple sup-porting slide are provided with longitudinally extending slots 35, and the side walls 33 and 34 of feed plate 3| are provided with slots 36 adapted to register with the slots 35.

A channel shaped member 31 fitting against the inner surfaces of top wall It and side walls l1 and it of the staple supporting slide 8 has a pair. of outwardly extending lateral flanges 38 which project through one of the slots 35 and into the The flanges 38 are of the same length of member 37 is provided with a lip 39 which is apertured so as to fit on the rod 21. A coiled spring 40 embracing the rod 21 has one end abutting the rear end I9 of the staple supporting slide 8 and its other end abutting the lip 39 so as to urge the feed plate 3| forwardly to feed the staples l to the exit channel M. The forward edge 3! of the feed plate 3! extends forwardly n of the member 3? far enough to be flush with the forward edge of the staple supporting slide when lip 39 is positioned against lip 28 (see Figures 5 and 6). The lip 39 projects vertically beyond the edge of lip 28 so that it may be engaged by the users finger to retract the feed plate 3! against the action of spring Ml.

The stapling machine may be loaded by partially removing the staple supporting slide 8 when the stapling machine is in the position indicated a in Figure 2, placing the staples l in the recess 9, with their legs extending upwardly, and then sliding the staple supporting slide forwardly until the stud 23 snaps into the recess IE to latch the a staple supporting slide in its proper-position. The

machine may also be loaded in the position shown in Figure 1 by removing the staple supporting slide 8 from the machine, manually moving the feed plate 3! to its rearmost position and holding it there, then positioning the staples on the top wall It forwardly of the feed plate, with their legs straddling the side walls H and i8; and then sliding the staple supporting slide into the recess I9. The feed plate 3| must be released slightly before the stud 23 snaps into the recess IE), but this does not interfere with the loading operation because the major portion of the staples are retained between the staple slide support 8 and the walls of the recess I9, and the stud 23 snaps into the recess l5 immediately after the feed plate 3! is released.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in considerable detail, it willbe understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact structure described, except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim: 1. In combination, a stapling machine having a body portion provided with a recess at its bottom, a staple supporting slide slidable in said recess, a resilient member secured to said slide, a stud mounted on said resilient member, said stud being engageable with said body portion to releasably hold said staple supporting slide in predetermined position in said recess, a feed plate mounted on said staple supporting slide, said feed plate being movable longitudinally relative to said staple supporting slide, a member mounted inside said staple supporting slide, said member being rigidly secured to said feed plate and having a lip projecting inside said staple supporting slide, whereby said feed plate may be manually retracted from its staple feeding position, and a ,second lip projecting into said staple supporting slide, said second "3. A channel shaped staple supporting lip being engageable by said first mentioned lip tolimit the forward movement of said feed plate relative to said staple supporting slide, the forward edge of said feed plate extending forwardly of said first mentioned lip a distance equal to the distance from said second lip to the forward end of said staple supporting slide, whereby the forward end of said feed plate is flush with the forward end of said staple supporting slide when said feed plate is in its most forward position. I

2. A channel shaped staple supporting slide having longitudinal slots in its side walls, a longitudinally extending rod secured in fixed relationship to said slide, a feed plate mounted on said slide, said feed plate having slots in registration with said first mentioned slots, a member slidably mounted on said rod, a spring effective to move said member forwardly relative to said slide, and means to move said member rearwardly against the action of said spring by manually applied force, said member having lateral flanges through said first mentioned slots and into said second mentioned slots, whereby said feed plate is moved by movement of said member.

slide having longitudinal slots in its side walls, a feed plate straddling said staple supporting slide, said feed plate having apertures aligned with said slots, a member mounted inside said staple slide,

a spring positioned in said channel shaped slide,

said spring normally urging said member forwardly relative to said slide, means for moving said member rearwardly relative to said slide by manually applied force, said member having projections extending through said slots and fitting snugly into said apertures, whereby movement of said member is effective to move said feed plate relative to said staple slide. 

